If you own rural land, you may need to install a septic tank and a septic tank cover to take care of your wastewater.
A septic tank riser and cover are two necessary components to ensure accessibility to your septic tank as well as the safety of your family.
If you need more information about septic tank covers before you decide, keep reading.
We’ve got all the information you need to know.
1. What is a septic tank cover?
A septic tank lid covers the opening to your septic tank.
It also identifies where your septic tank is, so you can find it when it’s time to inspect or clean it.
As a septic tank owner, you are required to have a septic tank cover.
This lid prevents small children and animals from falling into the septic tank.
A septic tank cover or lid can have many different designs.
Sometimes it’s concrete and other times it’s colored or shaped like a rock to blend into its surroundings.
It’s a personal choice of the landowner to decide what you want your septic tank cover to look like.
2. What is a septic tank riser?
When discussing septic tank covers, you may also hear about risers.
While related, risers serve a different purpose.
A septic tank riser also covers the opening of the septic tank.
However, instead of lying flat, it’s normally raised anywhere from 12 to 30 inches off the ground.
It provides access to the opening, so you easily put septic additives into the tank or check your fill level.
Septic tank risers also help prevent grass and dirt from growing around the opening, which can make a lid difficult to open.
You’ll still need a septic tank cover if you install a riser.
This is a lid that fits securely on top of the riser.
In some cases, it sits flush with the ground.
If your riser is raised above the ground, then it’ll sit securely on top of the riser itself.
It’s incredibly useful because it eliminates digging and searching for your septic tank while also adding accessibility for pumping, maintenance, and inspections.
3. How can you hide your septic tank cover?
Some septic tank covers are made to blend into the ground.
However, if yours sticks out like a sore thumb, then you may wonder if you can do something else to make it less evident in your yard.
Here are a few ideas.
First, determine what type of septic system you have.
Is it an aerobic septic system or a traditional septic system?
This decides what you can and cannot do to hide the septic tank cover.
For aerobic septic systems, you really can’t do much to hide it.
The system needs to be checked by a technician every four months, which means the lid needs to be exposed and accessible.
Even if you were to cover it, you’d be constantly uncovering it.
It’d be more inconvenient than anything else.
If you have a traditional septic system, you only need to pump it every three to five years.
So, you can use just about any temporary and movable object to cover your lid.
Here are the do’s and don’ts of hiding your septic tank.
Do’s
Here are all the things we encourage you to consider if you think your septic tank cover is ugly and needs some sprucing up.
Make sure you don’t use any mortar or permanent substance when placing these items.
Your septic system still needs to be inspected periodically.
Don’ts
Here’s everything you should steer clear of for the sake of safety. Don’t…
4. What are the benefits of a septic tank cover and riser?
When you install a septic tank riser, you bring the access point up to the surface and allow for better accessibility.
This can help you save both time and money over the years.
A septic tank access riser is normally made of plastic or concrete.
They are often between 8 and 24 inches in diameter.
If the septic tank riser and cover are properly installed, they serve several purposes and offer benefits.
Here’s why you should consider this installation:
5. How do you find your septic tank?
If you’re searching for the septic tank cover to perform maintenance, it can take a little bit of work to find it.
The easiest scenario is when there’s a septic tank riser.
In this case, the cover will literally stick out of the ground, which is significantly easier for the eye to spot.
However, there are a few tricks you can use if you’re searching for a cover on the ground over acres of land.
This is the easiest option, and thus, the one you should try first.
Most counties will retain permit records of the installation of septic tanks at all addresses.
Before you go out and walk the property to search for the tank, you should look at the map where a diagram is depicting the location of the tank on the property.
If the county doesn’t have a record, then ask the homeowner.
In some cases, a diagram of the septic system can also be included as part of your home inspection when purchasing a property.
If the county or homeowner doesn’t have a record of the location, then you may be out of luck.
Septic tanks are installed in a way that intends to hide them.
So, if the grass has grown back, it may be hard to identify where it is.
We recommend looking closely at your yard — as well as any high or low spots — that may indicate a buried tank.
A septic tank is installed along the sewer line that extends from the home into the front yard.
Head to the basement or crawl space and find the 4-inch sewer pipe where it leaves the house.
Find the location outside and mark it.
Stick a thin metal probe into the ground, locate the 4-inch sewer line, and follow it across the yard by probing it every 2 feet.
While some states require septic tanks to be at least five feet away from a house, most are around 10 to 25.
You’ll know you’ve found the tank when you feel the prob strike flat concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene.
Your next task is to mark the perimeter of the tank.
Most septic tanks are rectangular and measure around 5 feet by 8 feet.
Mark this spot so you can find it again in the future and then call a professional to complete the inspection or cleaning.
6. How does a septic tank cover enhance safety?
Safety should be your number one priority on your land.
When it comes to dealing with your wastewater, a septic tank can be a great option, but it can also be a safety hazard if it isn’t set up correctly.
You want to make sure your septic tank is inspected and cleaned regularly to ensure it is working properly.
Both a septic tank cover and riser can make this maintenance easier and more accessible.
However, you want to make sure that your septic tank cover isn’t broken or cracked either.
If it is, then this can make your sewage treatment less reliable as water leaks into the tank from other sources.
Why would this matter?
Your septic tank functions through an organic treatment process.
If this is disruptive by external sources, then you’re in trouble!
7. How do you install a cover?
Before you can install a cover, you must first install a riser on a septic tank.
This is essentially the access port to your tank.
To do this, you should follow a few critical safety tips.
Hitting a power line can be deadly.
If you’re unsure about the location of your power lines, look online at callbeforeyoudig.org.
The fumes associated with exposed sewage can be harmful to living beings.
Always work in pairs in case you become unconscious.
Once you take the lid off, be careful to work until the job is completed.
This way, no one will be unaware that the tank is open.
You should also keep children and pets away.
If your septic tank is more than 20 years old, you should pump it to verify if it’s structurally sound and watertight.
If you find that your tank needs repairs, consider replacing it with a modern tank that will fare better.
Then, work with your local environmental health department to get the required permits for replacement.
Next, gather the materials and tools you’ll need for the installation.
- Tank adaptor ring (TAR)
- Kit for riser adapter rings
- Butyl rope
- Risers
- Domed lid or flat lid
- Stainless steel screws
- Septic system ‘as-built’ record drawing
- Measuring tape
- Shovel
- Probing tool
- Eye protection
- Work gloves
- Saws (circular, saber/jig, and hand)
- Drill with a ¼” bit
- Rasp or file
- Marking pen
- Tape measure
- High-strength concrete patch mix
- Small bucket
- Mixing stick
- Gloves
Then, follow these steps to install access risers to your septic tank.
Once you’ve located your septic tank, start digging.
Dig out the entire top of your tank and remove all the dirt.
This will ensure you have a good seal.
You should locate two openings (one for the inlet and one for the outlet).
You’ll need a riser for each opening.
To properly install risers, all manholes (holes that are 24+ inches or square) must be retrofitted and the tank inlet and outlet baffle covers (if separate from the manholes) must also be retrofitted.
Remove the existing concrete lids and discard them after risers are installed.
Depending on the diameter of the septic tank manholes, large risers will sit on top or fit into the tank opening about 1-3 inches.
You should keep this in mind when determining the height of the riser.
It is always easier to trim off extra than it is to add more length.
Clean off the top of the tank and remove all dirt and debris before attaching the risers.
Assemble the risers using butyl rope and then use a high-strength flexible concrete patch mix that hardens in 15 to 20 mins.
Seal the risers to the septic tank using this mix.
To avoid a safety hazard, secure a lid to the top of the riser with screws and add any additional septic tank cover you’d like to hide its existence.
You must have a septic tank cover for safety!
Final Thoughts
Update the look of your septic tank system with the tips above!
Most landowners don’t want their septic tank riser or lid to be an eyesore, and thus, they transform it with an attractive septic tank cover solution.
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Disclaimer: we are not lawyers, accountants or financial advisors and the information in this article is for informational purposes only. This article is based on our own research and experience and we do our best to keep it accurate and up-to-date, but it may contain errors. Please be sure to consult a legal or financial professional before making any investment decisions.